(Date unknown) Will this ripped-from-the-headlines film be ready by year's end? Don't count out director Clint Eastwood; he's come out of nowhere to do it before -- "Million Dollar Baby," "American Sniper," "Gran Torino," etc. Here his latest real-life hero tale focuses on the 2015 terrorist attack thwarted by three American men. Oddly, the bulk of the cast is made up of comedic talent - Judy Greer, Jenna Fischer, Tony Hale, Tom Lennon. Even more curious, he gave the hero roles to the real-life non-actors who lived it.

(Dec. 22) Still an unknown quantity at this point, but Owen Wilson and Ed Helms as brothers on a road trip to find the father they thought was dead after mom Glenn Close reveals the truth, with J.K. Simmons and Terry Bradshaw (as himself!) as possible sires, has potential for classic comedy.

(Sept. 22) Emma Stone and Steve Carell as Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs in this serio-comic recreation of the real-life 1973 tennis match/media sensation, all from the directing team behind "Little Miss Sunshine"? You had me at Sept. 22.

(Oct. 6) Unnecessary? Perhaps. Worrisome, considering the mixed returns for Ridley Scott's own "Alien" prequels-of-sorts, "Prometheus" and "Alien: Covenant"? Certainly. But this follow-up to Scott's original 1982 classic has golden boy Ryan Gosling taking over the lead from co-star/returnee Harrison Ford, and a typically creepy Jared Leto in the antagonist role. But best of all, the new director is Denis Villeneuve, responsible for two of my favorite films of the past five years, "Prisoners" and "Sicario." Still, that 152-minute running time, though.

(Sept. 15) Ben Stiller having an on-screen midlife crisis is already a trope that's outstaying its welcome. But when it's in a comedy written and directed by Mike White, I'm on board.

BRAD'S STATUS

(Sept. 15) Ben Stiller having an on-screen midlife crisis is already a trope that's outstaying its welcome. But when it's in a comedy written and directed by Mike White, I'm on board.

Photo: Jonathan Wenk

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BREATHE

(Oct. 13) Call it the most Oscar-baity of this fall's films, but Andrew Garfield as a real-life polio-afflicted quadriplegic who receives a short life expectancy from doctors, but nonetheless becomes a dedicated activist -- along with his wife, played by rising star Claire Foy ("The Royals") -- for years, intrigues. As a debut directing effort from acting great Andy Serkis, it's a must-see.

(Oct. 13) Call it the most Oscar-baity of this fall's films, but Andrew Garfield as a real-life polio-afflicted quadriplegic who receives a short life expectancy from doctors, but nonetheless becomes a

(Nov. 24) If critics are to be believed, this might be one of 2017's biggest winners. The grossly underrated Michael Stuhlbarg and Armie Hammer appear, along with a reported star-making performance by 21-year-old Timothee Chalamet, in this drama set in the 1980s about a teen living in Italy with his parents, who begins a passionate relationship with the older male academic who comes to stay with them.

(Date unknown) An adaptation of an Ian McEwan novel is always a cause for interest. Here, Emma Thompson is a High Court judge in a troubled marriage to Stanley Tucci, who must decide whether to force an ailing teenage boy ("Dunkirk" stand-out Fionn Whitehead) to receive a blood transfusion that goes against his beliefs.

(Nov. 24) A historical drama about the race between inventors Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse to become the king of electricity could make for a movie with little, um, spark. But the casting of Benedict Cumberbatch and Michael Shannon -- with Nicholas Hoult as Nikola Tesla thrown in for extra measure -- ups the excitement level. An interesting pivot for "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl" director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon.

(Dec. 1) This one might make me the giddiest of all fall releases. James Franco writes, directs and acts in (of course he does) this recreation of the making of the "worst film ever made," Tommy Wiseau's "The Room." Franco is Wiseau, Wiseau has a cameo, and the cast includes his brother Dave Franco, Dave's wife Alison Brie, Seth Rogen, Zac Effron, Hannibal Buress, Sharon Stone, Melanie Griffith and Jacki Weaver.

(Dec. 22) Alexander Payne's sci-fi satire just opened the Venice Film Festival to raves. But the plot about a married Omaha couple ("The Martian" co-stars Matt Damon and Kristen Wiig) who agree to have themselves shrunk down to five inches tall in an effort to curb overpopulation had already sold me.

(Date unknown) This one could be the breakthrough of the year. The trailers look stunning and the reviews have been rapturous for rising Chilean director Sebastián Lelio's drama about a transgender waitress/nightclub singer who is rocked by the sudden death of her older boyfriend.

(Date unknown) What would fall be without another Oscar bid by four-time nominee Annette Bening? Maybe she's hoping her character's luck will rub off on her; she plays real-life Academy Award winner Gloria Grahame, whose troubled later life led to a romance with a much younger man when she moved to England to work in the theater.

(Oct. 6) "Tangerine" helmer Sean Baker travels across the country from that film's L.A. setting to tell the tale of a mischievous six-year-old girl's summer in the shadow of Disney World.

THE FLORIDA PROJECT

(Oct. 6) "Tangerine" helmer Sean Baker travels across the country from that film's L.A. setting to tell the tale of a mischievous six-year-old girl's summer in the shadow of Disney World.

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A FUTILE & STUPID GESTURE

(Date unknown) No photos are available yet for David Wain's take on the ride of the National Lampoon empire in the 70s and 80s, so here's one of "Community" co-stars Joel McHale and Chevy Chase. You see, in the movie McHale plays Chase.

(Dec. 25) Despite trailers that downplay what is obviously a big, splashy musical, and despite the fact that Hugh Jackman in no way resembles infamous impresario P.T. Barnum, this film looks like it could be grand family holiday entertainment. Somehow, first-time Michael Gracey landed this gig, but he was smart enough to populate it with talent like Jackman, Michelle Williams, Zac Efron, Zendaya and Rebecca Ferguson.

(Sept. 8) Despite the loss of "True Detective" auteur Cary Fukunaga in the director's chair, is there anything, really, that keep us away from this second go-round at Stephen King's chiller about a homicidal clown in a small town's sewers? I mean, who doesn't love clowns?

(Sept. 8) Despite the loss of "True Detective" auteur Cary Fukunaga in the director's chair, is there anything, really, that keep us away from this second go-round at Stephen King's chiller about a homicidal

(Oct. 27) Chances are, if you saw last year's "The Lobster," you either loved it or you hated it. I was firmly in the former camp, so I was eager to see whatever director Yorgo Lanthimos did next. In this, "Lobster" lead Colin Farrell stars as a surgeon who forms a relationship with a sinister teenage boy. Also stars Nicole Kidman and, for some reason, Alicia Silverstone.

(Nov. 10) Greta Gerwig directing and writing for Saoirse Ronan as a young woman having an adventurous year in California? Sold! Stop talking! How soon can I buy a ticket?

LADY BIRD

(Nov. 10) Greta Gerwig directing and writing for Saoirse Ronan as a young woman having an adventurous year in California? Sold! Stop talking! How soon can I buy a ticket?

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LAST FLAG FLYING

(Nov. 3) An interesting choice for Richard Linklater: A sequel to 1973's "The Last Detail," based on the same-name book sequel by co-screenwriter an author of both novels, Darryl Ponicsan. As a big fan of the original Hal Ashby film ... and of Linklater ... and of stars Bryan Cranston, Steve Carell and Laurence Fishburne, I'm along for the ride.

(Nov. 3) If anybody's due for a critical comeback, it's Rob Reiner (As a director, mind you; recent film and TV roles, as well as his furious anti-Trump tweeting, have been top notch.). A biopic of the 36th president, played by Woody Harrelson, with Jennifer Jason Leigh as his wife, Lady Bird, is a good start. A scant 98-minute running time is a concern, however.

(Nov. 3) If anybody's due for a critical comeback, it's Rob Reiner (As a director, mind you; recent film and TV roles, as well as his furious anti-Trump tweeting, have been top notch.). A biopic of the 36th

(Date unknown) Maybe this story of a geriatric couple taking to the road for adventures in their titular RV is aimed at an audience of a certain age, but the thought of watching Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland - not to mention the last appearance by the late, great Dick Gregory - act it out sounds like the most pleasurable, entertaining way to spend 112 minutes.

(Sept. 22) Can this exquisite-looking animated film tracing the life and death of artist Vincent Van Gogh - using his own works of art - knock Pixar off the Oscar podium near year? Voices include Saoirse Ronan, Chris O'Dowd and Helen McCrory.

(Date unknown) Look for Lois Smith to be this year's entrant in the veteran getting her Oscar due category for this offbeat tale about an older woman who gets to interact with the holographic recreation of her long-dead husband (Jon Hamm). Strong notices also for Geena Davis as her daughter.

(Sept. 29) "All the President's Men," but from the perspective of "Deep Throat." Liam Neeson plays the now-uncovered whistleblower for Peter Landesman, director of the intriguing yet flawed "Parkland," another tale of the fall of a president.

(Oct. 13) Another American icon, another biopic. It's awards season, after all. But this Reginald Hudlin-directed film takes on an early case of eventual first African American Supreme Court Justice, Thurgood Marshall. Gifted portrayer of real-life heroes, Chadwick Boseman (Jackie Robinson in "42," James Brown in "Get On Up"), is Marshall, while can-do-no-wrong Sterling K. Brown is his client. Ignore IMDb's tone deaf listing, though; it shows the decidedly Caucasian Dan Stevens, Sophia Bush and Kate Hudson as the movie's stars.

(Oct. 13) Writer-director Noah Baumbach is enough to lure me in. But estranged brothers Ben Stiller and Adam Sandler reuniting with the rest of their troubled family for an event celebrating the art of their father (Dustin Hoffman) makes it a no-brainer.

(Sept. 15) Writer-director Darren Aronofsky seems to be aiming to out-creep his own "Black Swan," with this thriller about a married couple (Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem) who welcome successive strangers (beginning with Ed Harris and Michelle Pfeiffer) into their home. The trailers have a definite "Rosemary's Baby" vibe to them. And if you know anything about me, all of the above is right up my alley.

(Date unknown) Dee Rees' (very) long-awaited big screen follow-up to her 2011 breakthrough "Pariah" concerns two men returning from World War II and relocating to rural Mississippi, where they and their families deal with racism and post-combat adjustments. The cast includes Jason Mitchell, Garrett Hedlund, Carey Mulligan, Jonathan Banks, Jason Clarke and a reportedly fierce and fantastic Mary J. Blige.

(Date unknown) Dee Rees' (very) long-awaited big screen follow-up to her 2011 breakthrough "Pariah" concerns two men returning from World War II and relocating to rural Mississippi, where they and their

(Nov. 10) Director Kenneth Branagh has some big shoes to fill, attempting a redo of Sidney Lumet's star-studded version of Agatha Christie's classic mystery novel set on a train, which netted six Oscar nominations and earned Ingrid Bergman her third statue. Never one to lack confidence, Branagh gave himself the lead role as master detective, Hercule Poirot. And who did he cast as his may suspects? Just Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, "Force Awakens" stand-out Daisy Ridley, Willem Dafoe, Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench, Josh Gad, Olivia Colman, Derek Jacobi and "Hamilton" star Leslie Odom Jr.

(Nov. 3) Who doesn't want to see Disney Channel heartthrob Ross Lynch shatter his image by playing a lonely, alcoholic teenage version of eventual serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer in a movie based on an acclaimed graphic novel? Just me?

(Date unknown) It's a Ian McEwan fest this fall. This one, scripted from his own novel just like "The Children Act," features the magnetic Saoirse Ronan Billy Howle as a couple on their honeymoon in the early 1960s.

(Dec. 25) Not much is known about this passion project, except the bare bones of a plot - a dressmaker in 1950's London is commissioned by members of high society and the royal family - and the fact that it is supposedly Daniel Day-Lewis' last ever film role. Well, that and the fact that it's from the divinely talented Paul Thomas Anderson.

(Dec. 22) I've written about this one before, and how many things would have to go wrong here for this to not end up one of the prestige, award-winning flicks? Besides its plot -- Washington Post publisher Katherine Graham and editor Ben Bradlee fight the White House for the right to publish the Pentagon Papers -- here's a list of what the movie has going for it: Steven Spielberg; written by "Spotlight" co-writer Josh Singer; Meryl Streep; Tom Hanks; Carrie Coon; Sahah Paulson; Michael Stuhlbarg; Alison Brie; Jesse Plmons, Bradley Whitford; David Cross; Bob Odenkirk; Matthew Rhys; Zach Woods; Bruce Greenwood.

(Nov. 3) Normally, Denzel Washington in a flashy bright suit, thick glasses and bright 70's-style suits is enough to warrant a ticket purchase. Throw in Colin Farrell and Carmen Ejogo as co-stars and you're just showing off. Make it a legal thriller set in L.A.'s seedy underbelly and maybe you've even taken it too far. But the true draw for me is that it's the second film from writer-director Dan Gilroy, responsible for 2014's "Nightcrawler," one of the bst films of the past decade.

(Dec. 8) "Pacific Rim," "Crimson Peak" and the TV series "The Strain" may have been massive steps down for director Guillermo del Toro following 2006's "Pan's Labyrinth" -- one of the greatest films of the past 25 years -- but I'm always going to give del Toro the benefit of the doubt. Because, well, "Pan's Labyrinth."

(Oct. 27) The plot of this satiric drama captures my interest: after the abolition of the Swedish monarchy, the Stockholm Palace is turned into an art museum and chaos ensues. Star Elisabeth Moss is always a draw. But my main attraction is to see what "Force Majeure" director Ruben Östlund has up his sleeve now.

(Sept. 22) Much like Richard Linklater and "Last Flag Flying," this inspirational biopic about a victim of the Boston Marathon bombings is a curious choice for David Gordon Green. But the teaming of him and one of my favorite modern actors, Jake Gyllenhaal, as Jeff Bauman, who lost both of his legs but still managed to help authorities identify one of the terrorists, is itself inspiring. I won't even get into the casting of the supremely gifted and otherworldly talented Tatiana Maslany as his girlfriend.

(Sept. 22) Much like Richard Linklater and "Last Flag Flying," this inspirational biopic about a victim of the Boston Marathon bombings is a curious choice for David Gordon Green. But the teaming of him

(Oct. 27) It seems like this war veterans returning home drama from actor and "American Sniper" scripter Jason Hall has been talked about forever. Let's see it already, as well as the performances from Miles Teller, Haley Bennett, Keisha Castle-Hughes and the against-type Amy Schumer.

(Nov. 10) Slap the name of writer-director Martin McDonagh ("In Bruges," "Seven Psychopaths") on it and I'm already in the theater. It doesn't even have to star one of my favorite actresses, Frances McDormand. But as long as she's here, why not cast her in this seriously dark comedy-drama about the mother of a murdered girl who very publicly shames the town sheriff (Woody Harrelson) for the lack of progress in the case. The supporting cast includes Peter Dinklage, Sam Rockwell, Abbie Cornish, John Hawkes and recent Oscar nominee Lucas Hedges ("Manchester by the Sea").

(Nov. 17) Stephen Chbosky ("The Perks of Being a Wallflower") directs an adaptation of someone else's juvenile novel this time. "Wonder" looks to be this year's tear duct squeezer: a boy with a rare facial condition (Jacob Tremblay) enters a mainstream fifth grade for the first time, with loving support (sniff) from his parents, Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson.

(Oct. 20) In a season of directors venturing outside their norms (see: Richard Linklater; David Gordon Green), Todd Haynes takes a break from his usual adult fare for this adaptation of Brian Selznick's children's book. (Selznick also wrote the book that inspired "Hugo" and handled screenwriting chores here.) It's a mysterious two-fold story told 50 years apart - half is modern and colorful, the other black-and-white and mostly silent. Haynes recruited his sometimes muse Julianne Moore, as well as Michelle Williams.

(Dec. 1) The third fall 2017 film to begin with the world "wonder," this drama is Woody Allen's 48th big screen directing effort. The Coney Island in the 1950s' set tale is named for the famous Ferris Wheel at the Brooklyn attraction. The story of a middle-aged carousel operator (Jim Belushi), his troubled wife (Kate Winslet) and their returning daughter (Juno Temple) is seen through the eyes of lifeguard Justin Timberlake.

Place my optimism in the cautious category when it comes to the movies set to hit theaters this fall and into the end of the year awards season, because after a year of some standout early winners — Get Out, Wonder Woman, Baby Driver, The Big Sick, Wind River, Dunkirk, War for the Planet of the Apes, etc. — part of me is finding it hard to believe the upcoming autumn arrivals look as good as they do. Could we really be this lucky?

With Labor Day coming Monday, It all officially begins the following Friday with the release of that long-awaited big-screen version of Stephen King's classic killer clown tale. And that's just one of the titles on my 50+ list of must-see movies for the next four months.

Take a look through the alphabetically arranged gallery above for inspiration, information or argument starters. The usual caveats apply: opinions will surely change on several of these as reviews and buzz arrive; some will fall, while other, as yet unheard of, will take their places; the release dates included are as they stand now – some are "limited release" dates, with us getting them later, and some will change entirely.